EDWARDSVILLE –  The Wilkes University softball fell in both ends of its Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader with Manhattanville College on Saturday afternoon, falling 8-5 in game one before dropping game two 11-2 in six innings.

The Lady Colonels are now 23-13 overall and 9-5 in conference play.

In game one, Wilkes got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the third on five hits. Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) started the inning with a single up the middle and stole second.
After a fly out, Kaliyah Moore (South Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) singled to left field, moving Birchmieier to third before Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) singled through the left side to score Birchmeier and move Moore to second. Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) stepped up next and hit a laser over the right fielder's head, advancing Brown to third and scoring Moore. Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) had her turn next, and she came through with an RBI single back through the box into centerfield to score Brown and move Welker to third. Following a pop-out, Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) was hit by a pitch to load the bases before all runers advanced one base on a wild pitch, bringing Welker home for a 4-0 lead.

Manhattanville responded in the top of the fourth with three runs on three hits to cut the lead to 4-3.

The Lady Colonels added a fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on two hits. Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) started with a single to left and was pinch-run for by Erika Gerace (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain). Moore came up next and put down a bunt, but the third baseman tried for the runner heading to second and threw the ball into centerfield. Brown followed with a walk to load the bases and following a pop-out, Staunton singled into center to bring home Gerace for a 5-3 lead.

The Valiants took their first lead in the top of the fifth at 6-5 with three runs on five hits, and added their seventh run in the top of the sixth on two hits. Manhattanville scored its eighth run in the top of the seventh on three hits.

Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) fell to 9-6 on the season after surrendering eight runs on 16 hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

Welker (2-4, one run, one RBI) and Staunton (2-4, two RBI's) led the offensive attack for Wilkes in game one.

In game two, the Valiants got on the board in the top of the fourth with four runs on four hits.

Wilkes started to chip away in the bottom of the fourth, scoring one run on two hits. Brown led off with a walk and moved to second when Staunton singled up the middle with one out. Bixler followed with a groundout to first base that moved both runners up before Ally Paskas (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) singled to center to bring home Brown to cut the deficit to 4-1.

Manhattanville scored two more runs in the top of the fifth on two hits to take a 6-1 lead.

The Valiants finished their scoring in the top of the sixth with five runs on two hits.

The Lady Colonels added a run in the bottom of the sixth on one hit.

Staunton fell to 12-4 on the season, surrendering 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Welker, Staunton, Paskas, and Gambino had one hit each.

Wilkes has clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MAC Freedom Tournament, and will face King's in the first round at Delaware Valley on Friday at 12:00 p.m.

Wilkes returns to the field tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. when it closes out the regular season against Alfred University at the Ralston Athletic Complex.